Sunday, 28 November 2010

Are my entry for this weeks Play Date Cafe Challenge. Our inspiration photo below is right up my street, I love the weathered feel to the pegs.

I was going to decorate a large peg but as Sarah had already decorated pegs I thought I would have a go at some Christmas decorations to hang from my fireplace.

I love anything heart related so this is where my project began with hearts cut from brown felt. I have added grey stitching, buttons and silver ribbon to match the colour challenge for this week. I also added brown rusty snowflakes.

I will hang these from twigs on my fireplace to give that rustic feel which I love around Christmas.

My second decoration has had a bird added along with grey stitching, buttons, silver ribbon and rusty snowflakes.

I have also added a Tattered Floral for its wing.

My third decoration I made a smaller heart but this time in grey felt, adding brown hand stitching, a small brown bird, Tattered Florals and buttons. Again a silver ribbon has been added to hang the decoration and I have also added a silver heart charm to the bottom.

I love the silver charm on this heart which matches the rusty heart I have used for the bird wing.

I found these decorations very therapeutic to make and a lovely change from cards and I even quite enjoyed the hand stitching LOL. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Tracy x x

Saturday, 27 November 2010

`Let's go on with the game,' the Queen said to Alice; and Alice was too much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the croquet-ground.

The other guests had taken advantage of the Queen's absence, and were resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried back to the game, the Queen merely remarking that a moment's delay would cost them their lives.

All the time they were playing the Queen never left off quarrelling with the other players, and shouting `Off with his head!' or `Off with her head!' Those whom she sentenced were taken into custody by the soldiers, who of course had to leave off being arches to do this, so that by the end of half an hour or so there were no arches left, and all the players, except the King, the Queen, and Alice, were in custody and under sentence of execution.

Welcome back to the land of wonder and where the saying, 'Off with her head' is a regular statement! Well here in Wonderland this week, that is exactly what we want you to do. This week we want you to take your stamps and yep you guessed it,'Off with their heads'. So we are asking you to alter your stamps and mix it up a little by giving them a new head or body. Ohhh this is going to be sooo much fun seeing what you come up with!!!Now here is what I came up with for this challenge, a little fun piece LOL.

I must apologise for the poor quality of the picture, my husband had to sort this out for me as I was in hospital all day with my daughter and did not return until 8.30pm last night, nothing too serious Laura had broken her finger, one of two I might add, the second in three weeks.I knew that I wanted to create a black and white piece this week, and I had purchased some new "Greetings From Wonderland" stamps (available from THE STAMP ATTIC) so this was the ideal opportunity to ink them up for the first time. I also thought it would be a fun idea to remove the Queen's head and replace it with the cats head and I loved the "A Royal Summons" text. Off With Their Heads was produced on my computer and simply printed and added to my card. To complete, I added three heart embellishments. Hope you like my simple fun make this week. Check out the rest of the Twisted Team's creations by clicking on the links below:-

Up for grabs this week is a Scor Buddy from the lovely people at http://www.scrappingreatdeals.com. So off with their heads for your chance to win this awesome prize. You have until the 3rd of Dec to play along with us and link your challenge piece over at the Oh Alice Blog. Have a fabulous weekend, Tracy x x

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Time for another Christmas piece from me today. I have now finished the work in progress that was on my desk for WOYWW. I have combined challenges for this one as they all seem to work together, firstly Linda at The Compendium of Curiosities Challenge which this week we are asked to work with the DOUBLE DISTRESS technique found on page 40 of the book. Then we have the Simon Says Stamp and Show your DISTRESS INKS which works perfectly in with the CCC challenge. Finally, over at The Stampman Challenge Blog we are challenged to use anything by TIM, CHRISTMAS THEME, so as you can see all these challenges work beautifully together and is just how my challenge began, with anything by TIM.

I started by creating a book approx 5.5" x 5.5" and using Tim's On The Edge Snowflake Die. All the pages were painted with a couple of coats of Gesso and set aside to dry. A coat of Terra was than applied to one side of the pages, I have to say I am really liking the Terra, the texture it gives is absolutely fabulous. Two coats of red acrylic paint was then applied to all the pages, adding highlights of gold acrylic paint dabber. All the pages then had DI Fired Brick sponged over the top of the paint to dull down the red to some degree.

My first page has had a Tattered Floral added, cut from an old hymn book and red Bazzil card along with a wooden heart, sponged with Distress Inks and gold acrylic paint dabber added to the edges and red thread added to the centre.

The inside pages have the Caged Bird and Styled Label added, both Tim's dies, as I type I am beginning to realise just how many TIM products I have used LOL. The inside of the Styled Label has an image from Tim's Seasonal Paper Stash added and has been embossed with a snowflake embossing folder. The Label has also had the Double Distress technique added too.

You guessed it!!!! The next pages also have Tim's products added too LOL. This time it is the Carved Ornaments, two of which have had the Double Distress technique added and the other two have had two of Tim's stamped images added along with some hand stitching.

The back page has had the Tim treatment too with papers from his Seasonal Stash added along with any Tattered Florals I had left. Hope you like my tribute to all things TIM LOL. Have a lovely day, Tracy x x x

Wow another week has vanished, time is passing so quickly or it feels that way, probably because I have so much to do. You know it's that time again, WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) for any newcomers. If you have never visited our esteemed leader, Julia click HERE and you will be automatically transported to Julia's place for all the details and hundreds (well over a hundred) of wonderful desks to nose around.

I have work in progress on my desk this morning, another challenge piece and another Christmas card crossed off the list hopefully sometime today. It's the first time I have used Tim's snowflake on the edge die and I must admit I quite like it. There is nothing much else on my desk as I do tend to work on one thing at a time if I can, easier for my poor little brain LOL.

As you can see from the clock in the window, this picture was taken and 2.10pm on Tuesday, but to be honest I did nothing more after taking this picture, I needed a break and my desk remained like this until this morning. I'm hoping to spend the day finishing my project and doing a little relaxing in front of the tv with a brew and a computer on my lap, blog hopping, well that's the plan. Enjoy your week everyone and thanks for visiting. Tracy xx

I have some quite large dominoes in my craft stash and decided to use two for my covers of this accordion card. Each domino has been coloured with Alcohol inks, Sail Boat Blue and Mountain Rose along with some blending solution to lighten the colour a little. I have then stamped my images with StazOn black. The accordion has been created from glossy card and coloured with the same alcohol inks and stamped.

I have added a heart to the front and back cover, both painted with rose acrylic paint.,

I quite liked the idea of adding her face and torso to one side and her legs to the other, just a fun element. I have also highlighted a few areas with white gel pen.

A Maya Road butterfly coloured with acrylic paint and rose coloured buttons have been added to add to that girly feel.

On the reverse of my accordion I have added more stamping and highlighted more areas with a white gel pen which really lifts the page. GirlZ Rule has been generated on the computer and I have highlighted a few of the hearts with rose coloured card.

This gives you a closer view of the highlighted areas. I have really enjoyed making this, it made a nice change from Christmas cards. Enjoy your day, Tracy x x

Sunday, 21 November 2010

I have had this great set of Inkadinkado Stamps to play with this time around for my Design Team piece and the detail on the stamps is fabulous and work well stamped individually or with other embellishments and images.

I decided to make a pyramid card for my first piece which is created from Bazzill card stock. My images have been stamped with Adirondack Inks Red Pepper and Lettuce. I have also highlighted a couple of areas on my tree using a small circle punch and stamping part of the image again to give a 3D like appearance. Buttons have been added to embellish along with the addition of a Merry Christmas ticket from Tim's Odds And Ends Set.

On the second side of my pyramid I have stamped the Bauble with Adirondack inks, adding ribbon and BELIEVE from Wendy Vecchi set of stamps JUST WORD ART. I have added a bird from Tim's Caged Bird die and coloured with DI Fired Brick. A button and twine have also been added to embellish my bird.

The third side has had the candy cane image added along with a second bird (both birds have been cut from GRUNGEPAPER) along with the Santa Claus image stamped on shrink plastic using StazOn inks.

My second card is a standard folded card, in this case 6 x 6" from Bazzill card. All my images have been stamped as before with Adirondack Inks. I have also created a Christmas floral using The Artistic Stamper Flower Power Sheet. Must admit after creating these I really am getting into the Christmas spirit.

I would also like to enter these pieces for The Play Date Cafe Challenge and our inspiration picture is below.

Saturday, 20 November 2010

"Who are YOU?" said the Caterpillar.This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, "I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."~Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,Chapter 5

Welcome to the mad world of Wonderland! Once again we are here to inspire you to create great things! The Caterpillar (Absalom) was the wisest creature in Wonderland. At least he thought so, and so did most of the others.

He is a fascinating character because of his wisdom, and his lack of understanding metamorphosis. Kind of a weird oxymoron, don't you think? Our challenge this week is to use either a caterpillar or a butterfly in your project. If you would like to go one step further, use a definition or dictionary paper in your design (any subject is fine).

I began my piece with the sentiment which is from Outlines Rubber Stamp Company which I thought worked in quite well with this weeks challenge. I have stamped the sentiment with StazOn timber brown ink onto one of the pages from Tim's Lost and Found Paper Stash. My sentiment was then machine stitched onto fabric which I frayed. My main image was stamped once again with StazOn timber brown and machine stitched to a piece of fabric. I added a butterfly from Stampington & Company with a trinket pin added for the body.

Time Flies was computer generated and I tore the caterpillar and butterfly definitions from an old dictionary. I added a co-ordinated button to complete.

If you are fortunate, you may find yourself wisely winning your choice of three 4x6 reprints from our sponsor, Maigan Lynn Beaudoin Shaw. FanTASTic!! Maigan is such a delightful artist, and the team appreciates the chance to work with one of her images! Visit the teams blogs above to see what everyone created.

Remember, you have all week to play this challenge! Link your project to the Oh Alice! Challenge blog and HAVE FUN! You have until Friday Nov. 26th at 11:59 CST to get inky and enter to win! Happy creating!!Tracy x x

I love Christmas, not all the work but I do enjoy decorating the tree and watching my children open their presents and I love giving presents at Christmas, hence I have made another Christmas Card to add to my growing list of people to send to. I have used my favourite Santa Claus for Hels' challenge this week, the ink splatter in the background for Linda and the Compendium of Curiosities challenge and something that makes me happy for Simon Says Stamp and Show.

I did not want too many colours so stuck to blues and a little pearl mixative for the technique in the background. I added hand stitching around the heart to lift it from the page, added a co-ordinated floral, sentiment and some silver nail heads to complete. Have a great Wednesday everyone, Tracy x x

It's Wednesday yet again and time for another WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday for those who are not aware of this weekly get together). If you have never visited Julia's place, now is the time, join in and nose around at lots of inspiring craft spaces HERE.

I'm afraid my desk is not very inspiring today, in fact there is not much happening at all. I am having one of those weeks where I just don't feel like doing anything at the moment, in fact the only thing on my desk are a few abandoned stamps from a project I half started for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge, which I am really hoping to finish today if my energy levels allow LOL. In fact everything on my desk is from previous projecs and have not quite made the cupboards yet.

The only other items on my desk are a few new purchases which I have not yet had chance to use. Hopefully I will try and achieve something today, fingers crossed. Have a great Wednesday, see you in Blogland, Tracy x x

Sunday, 14 November 2010

There is an unusual colour palette for this week over at The Play Date Cafe, well unusual for me anyway.

I would never work with all these colours together normally but again this is what a challenge is all about and that is why I enjoy playing along with The Play Date Cafe, it challenges me to work outside the box with colours which is a good thing.

I have created a jar of flowers for this weeks challenge, something I often do at home is place some simple flowers into a plain old jar and they look so effective. My jar (from The Artistic Stamper, Inspiration Jars) has been stamped onto acetate and coloured with Sail Boat Blue Alcohol Ink. The flowers have been created using the Flower Power sheet from The Artistic Stamper, which have been simply layered and scrunched with stems created from Grungepaper.

I have added the smallest splash of red using a small button in the bottom right hand corner of my card. A simple sentiment completes my creation for this week. Until the next time, Tracy xx

Saturday, 13 November 2010

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to join the Oh Alice Challenge Blog as Guest Designer for November and December, THANKS Jessica and all the twisted team for inviting me along. We have an inspiration photo below to help with our creations this week.

"Alice felt dreadfully puzzled. The Hatter's remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English. `I don't quite understand you,' she said, as politely as she could.`The Dormouse is asleep again,' said the Hatter, and he poured a little hot tea upon its nose.The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its eyes, `Of course, of course; just what I was going to remark myself.'`Have you guessed the riddle yet?' the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.`No, I give it up,' Alice replied: `what's the answer?'`I haven't the slightest idea,' said the Hatter.`Nor I,' said the March Hare.Alice sighed wearily. `I think you might do something better with the time,' she said, `than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.'`If you knew Time as well as I do,' said the Hatter, `you wouldn't talk about wasting IT. It's HIM.'`I don't know what you mean,' said Alice.`Of course you don't!' the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously. `I dare say you never even spoke to Time!'"

The photograph above was the source for my inspiration this week.

I knew straight away that I was going to use the Mad Hatter and my deckle circle punch to create my piece and I also decided that it would be an easel card for this week. The easel is created with a piece of card 8" in length and 4" in width, which I coloured with acrylic paints, orange and ochre along with a little Stewart Gill paint in a purple colour by the name of Waternymph. I wanted to pick up the purple and orange colours in the inspiration photo.

My image was coloured using my Inktense watersoluble pencils but I kept one of the Mad Hatter images black and white to act as a contrast against the coloured one. I have also added a stirp of purple striped paper from the Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland range along with an optical lense over the top of Mad Hatter's face. I have added clocks to pick up the TIME theme and added alphabet tiles, purple thread, a chain for my watch and a small clock for my embellishments. The edges of the top panel have been coloured with DI Dusty Concord.

We have a fun challenge for you based on a lovely inspiration piece that the Mad Hatter herself just might "need" one of these days!This week, we have an inspiration piece, again from one of Jess's favorite designers, Tarina Tarantino (Shown above).It LOOKS like a watch, but in this case, the face of "Father Time" is the Mad Hatter himself. We can just see him, shouting out from this beautiful piece and startling it's owner "YOU HAVEN'T EVEN MET TIME!". Boy, it sure feels like that some days..time simply moves TOO QUICKLY to catch!Have a bedazzler of a time this week, creating after this piece! Enter your creations by 8pm on Friday 19th November at Oh, Alice! Good Luck. Have a great week, Tracy x

I decided to decorate a chipboard book from the Back to Bare Basics range from Papermania. The pages were given a couple of coats of Gesso and then painted with Distress Crackle Paint Tea Dye, however, I did not like the colour for Christmas so once it was dry I painted over it with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sky Blue Paint. Whilst the paint was still wet I added highlights of Gesso over the top. I also applied Silver Paint Dabber around all the edges.

My images have been stamped with StazOn Ultramarine and each page has been embellishment with pieces from my stash. I have tried to use some products I have had for quite some time rather than leave them to gather dust in the draw.

I love this snowflake sentiment from Inkadinkado, such a shame it is discontinued. The images have been stamped onto a BASICGREY paper, Snowfall Ice Blue, a range from a couple of years ago and the snowflake stamp is an old Stampendous one.

This is ONE of my favourite stamps from the Tim Holtz range, but not the only one I might add. The pewter embellishments are again an old find.

The following pages have been stamped as before and more embellishments added.

I love these hearts I found, they are laser cut and so delicate, which if I remember were from a Rayher range and the alphabet tiles are another old find.

The final page is decorated using Tim Holtz Caged Bird die and the Heart Wings Die.

I have also decorated a tag below for the Compendium of Curiosites challenge with Linda, which this week is PERFECT DISTRESS (Page 38 of the book). Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp so I am crossing my fingers firmly for a win this week LOL.

The tag has been coloured with DI tumbled glass and the sentiment has been stamped with StazOn Ultramarine. I have added some string and pewter embellishments to the top of the tag, added a sentiment and a couple of snowflakes. The snowflake in the bottom right of the tag has the PERFECT DISTRESS technique applied. Have a great day all, until the next time, Tracy x x

Morning all, time for another WOYWW or for those of you that are not familiar with this acronym, What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, but I'm sure there can't be many people left in blogland who are not aware of this phenomenon, but for those who are not click HERE and you will be transported to Julia's place for all the details.

My desk looks pretty clear apart from a couple of Christmas stamps, acrylic paints and a half finished tag. However, my window has quite a few half finished projects awaiting finishing touches along with a magazine article but I just don't seem to be able to get around to quite finishing anything off this week.

To the right of my desk I have my BigShot and a die cut birdcage which I will use on a project at a later date and you can just spy my Alice in Wonderland DT piece in the window waiting to be posted when I can find something to post it in, it's great making these things but I never quite think about how I am going to post them.

Further towards the right are more cupboards, packed with embellishments but I still by more and more and then don't know where I'm going to store everything, bad habit of mine LOL.

I don't have a plant of the week this Wednesday as most of my plants have lost their flowers or foliage in the Autumn breezes we have been having the past few days so I thought I would show you my garden in all its Autumn glory. Have a great day all, until the next time, Tracy x x